Chargers News: Bolts Interview Indianapolis Colts Assistant GM

The Los Angeles Chargers interviewed one of the popular GM candidates for their opening.

The Los Angeles Chargers have interviewed Indianapolis Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds for their GM vacancy, via Ian Rapoport.

The #Chargers interviewed #Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds for their GM position today. He's also in the mix with the #Raiders and #Chargers.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 17, 2024

The Chargers have also interviewed New Orleans Saints assistant GM Jeff Ireland, Buffalo Bills director of player personnel Terrance Gray, Chicago Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham, Baltimore Ravens director of player personnel Joe Horitz, New York Giants assistant GM Brandon Brown, and current interim GM JoJo Wooden for the opening.

The Chargers are in search of a new GM for the first time since 2013, when they hired former GM Tom Telesco. Telesco was the Chargers' GM for a decade, helping the team draft key players like Justin Herbert, Mike Williams, and Joey Bosa.

However, the Chargers were unable to maintain sustained success or even win a division title. As of late, Telesco particularly was unsuccessful with contracts and free agency signings, paying too much for oft-injured players or players who didn't turn out, like J.C. Jackson.

If hired, Dodds would ideally help the Chargers overcome their division title drought. Dodds could be the right guy since he is one of the more sought-after GM candidates, having worked under Chris Ballard for several years with the Colts.

While the Colts haven't necessarily had the most successful team in recent years, both Dodds and Ballard are highly respected for their approach to team building. As of late, they've built a strong team this season that finished within one game of making the playoffs, even after their quarterback was injured early on during the season. 

Prior to his time with the Colts, Dodds also gained experience while working in the Seahawks Pro Player Personnel department, including during the Seahawks' Super Bowl win in the 2013-2014 season.

However, the Chargers have competition for Dodds. Dodds has already interviewed with their division rival Las Vegas Raiders.

No matter if the Chargers end up hiring Dodds or another candidate, the priority will be for the team to build the roster to help Justin Herbert succeed while he's in his prime. The Chargers have a rare talent at the quarterback position but have only made the playoffs in just one of his four seasons with the team. The new GM will certainly have the pressure on to maximize Herbert and the team.